Monthly Archives: March 2010

This event is free and open to the public, but advance registration will help us select the appropriate size room. Please contact Jeff Altepeter at bookbinding @ nbss.org.

The New England Chapter is proud to sponsor another free lecture at North Bennet Street School. Chicago artist Karen Hanmer will introduce the range of her work, which includes artists’ books, design bindings and installation. A lecture will be followed by an opportunity to handle many of the books.

Chicago binder, book and installation artist Karen Hanmer’s intimate, playful works fragment and layer text and image to intertwine memory, cultural history, and the history of science. Her work weds the ancient act of book binding with the high tech use of the computer to aid her process. The intimate scale and the gestures of exploration required to travel through each piece evoke the experience of looking through an album, a diary, or the belongings of a loved one. However, her works often take the forms of games or puzzles, and many include witty text.

Hanmer exhibits widely, and her work is included in collections ranging from Tate Britain and the Library of Congress to National Museum of Women in the Arts and Graceland. Recent solo exhibition venues include Florida Atlantic University, University of the West of England Bristol, and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (OH). Recent curated exhibition venues include the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Brooklyn Museum, Harvard University’s Fogg Museum of Art, the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft and The Center for Book Arts (NYC); and traveling exhibitions sponsored by the Guild of Book Workers, the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists’ Guild, and Les Amis de la Reliure d’Art du Canada.

Karen Hanmer serves as Exhibitions Chair for the Guild of Book Workers, and on the editorial board of The Bonefolder.

“Karen Hanmer is that rare artist who thoroughly understands the vast potential of the book as an art form. Her books consistently unify structure and content in a way that makes her work unforgettable. At the same time, you can tell that she’s having a heck of a lot of fun, too.”

— John Cutrone
Book Arts Coordinator
Jaffe Center for Book Arts
Florida Atlantic University

April is quite a month for book lovers in New England , and North Bennet Street School is the place to be. Recall that the New England Chapter is sponsoring a lecture by Todd Pattison on April 12, and of course we are bringing Karen Hanmer to the school on the April 29. But also note that North Bennet Street School is hosting British book artist Paul Johnson on the following night, April 30, 2010. See www.nbss.org for more information.

North Bennet Street School has just published a new workshop catalog and updated the course listings online at www.nbss.org.

Coming up fast: Todd Pattison with “Rebacking Bookbindings,” on March 20-21, 2010.

Also beginning in late March is a 5 Saturday run of “Introduction to Cloth Case Bookbinding” with Amanda Nelsen, and a three-day class from Stacie Dolin on Photo Albums. There are a variety of courses on bookbinding, calligraphy, and marbling being offered from now through the summer from new visiting teachers and regular workshop instructors.

A few highlights include “New Oriental Bindings” with Monique Lallier (in collaboration with the American Academy of Bookbinding) and Katherine Beaty will offer a class on Islamic Binding. Pop-up artist Paul Johnson is back with a new lecture and a couple of classes. And for all those that have requested more conse rvation oriented courses there is “Tips and Tricks for Book and Paper Conservation” with Renate Mesmer in August.

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Please note that the Todd Pattison lecture, “19th Century Bookbinders’ Mistakes- Why they are so fun to look at!” was previously posted with the incorrect date. Apologies for any confusion but the correct date is Monday April 12, 2010 at 6 pm. The lecture will take place at North Bennet Street School in Boston, and is free and open to the public.

The chapter will also sponsor an artist talk by Karen Hanmer on April 29, 2010. Please save the date and watch for full information to be posted here as soon as we confirm the location (in the Boston area).